Convoy JW 57
Encyclopedia
Convoy JW 57 was an Arctic convoy
sent from Great Britain
by the Western Allies
to aid the Soviet Union
during World War II
. It sailed in February 1944, reaching the Soviet northern ports at the end of the month. All ships arrived safely.
For several days JW 57 was attacked by a German
U-boat
force; one escort vessel was sunk, and two U-boats were destroyed in counter-measures, during this operation.
on 20 February 1944.
Close escort was provided by a force led by Cdr IJ Tyson in the destroyer Keppel, with three other destroyers and four corvettes.
The force was supported by an Ocean escort of 14 destroyers led by V.Adm IG Glennie in the cruiser Black Prince
, and the escort carrier Chaser
with her escort of two destroyers and two frigates.
The convoy was also accompanied initially by a local escort group from Britain, and joined later by a local escort group from Murmansk.
There was no capital ship force providing distant cover, as Germany’s only remaining heavy unit in the Arctic, Tirpitz
, was still non-operational following the attack by British X-craft (Operation Source
), but a cruiser cover force comprising Berwick
and Jamaica followed the convoy, to guard against attack by smaller surface units.
JW 57 was opposed by a U-boat force of 14 boats, arranged in two patrol lines code-named Werewolf (10 boats) and Hartmut (4 boats).
on 20 February 1944, accompanied by its local escort, the minesweeper Rattlesnake and three others, with two corvettes. The close escort joined the same day.
On 22 February they were met by the Ocean escort, and by Chaser and her group, while the local escort returned.
On 23 February the convoy was sighted by German reconnaissance aircraft, which were attacked by Chaser's Martlets.
On 24 February the U-boats gained contact, but were unsuccessful in their attacks, while U-713 was sunk in a counter-attack by Keppel, assisted by a Swordfish
from Chaser.
On 25 February the U-boats again attacked, and on this day U-990 torpedoed the destroyer Mahratta
. She quickly sank, with the loss of most of her crew; there were 17 survivors. Also on 25 February a Catalina from Sullom Voe
attacked and destroyed U-601.
No further losses and JW 57 reached Kola safely on 28 February.
Arctic convoys of World War II
The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and North America to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945...
sent from Great Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
by the Western Allies
Western Allies
The Western Allies were a political and geographic grouping among the Allied Powers of the Second World War. It generally includes the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth, the United States, France and various other European and Latin American countries, but excludes China, the Soviet Union,...
to aid the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It sailed in February 1944, reaching the Soviet northern ports at the end of the month. All ships arrived safely.
For several days JW 57 was attacked by a German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
force; one escort vessel was sunk, and two U-boats were destroyed in counter-measures, during this operation.
Ships
The convoy consisted of 45 merchant ships which departed from Loch EweLoch Ewe
Loch Ewe is a sea loch in the region of in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The shores are inhabited by a traditionally Gàidhlig speaking people living in or sustained by crofting villages, the most notable of which, situated on the north-eastern shore, is the Aultbea settlement...
on 20 February 1944.
Close escort was provided by a force led by Cdr IJ Tyson in the destroyer Keppel, with three other destroyers and four corvettes.
The force was supported by an Ocean escort of 14 destroyers led by V.Adm IG Glennie in the cruiser Black Prince
HMS Black Prince (81)
HMS Black Prince was a Dido-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, of the Bellona subgroup. The cruiser was commissioned in 1943, and served during World War II on the Arctic convoys, during the Normandy landings, and as part of the British Pacific Fleet. In 1946, the cruiser was loaned to the...
, and the escort carrier Chaser
HMS Chaser (D32)
The USS Breton was an Attacker-class escort aircraft carrier that served during World War II....
with her escort of two destroyers and two frigates.
The convoy was also accompanied initially by a local escort group from Britain, and joined later by a local escort group from Murmansk.
There was no capital ship force providing distant cover, as Germany’s only remaining heavy unit in the Arctic, Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
, was still non-operational following the attack by British X-craft (Operation Source
Operation Source
Operation Source was a series of attacks to neutralise the heavy German warships – Tirpitz, Scharnhorst and Lutzow – based in northern Norway, using X-class midget submarines....
), but a cruiser cover force comprising Berwick
HMS Berwick (65)
HMS Berwick was a Royal Navy County class heavy cruiser, of the Kent subclass. She was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company , with the keel being laid down on 15 September 1924...
and Jamaica followed the convoy, to guard against attack by smaller surface units.
JW 57 was opposed by a U-boat force of 14 boats, arranged in two patrol lines code-named Werewolf (10 boats) and Hartmut (4 boats).
Action
JW 57 departed Loch EweLoch Ewe
Loch Ewe is a sea loch in the region of in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The shores are inhabited by a traditionally Gàidhlig speaking people living in or sustained by crofting villages, the most notable of which, situated on the north-eastern shore, is the Aultbea settlement...
on 20 February 1944, accompanied by its local escort, the minesweeper Rattlesnake and three others, with two corvettes. The close escort joined the same day.
On 22 February they were met by the Ocean escort, and by Chaser and her group, while the local escort returned.
On 23 February the convoy was sighted by German reconnaissance aircraft, which were attacked by Chaser's Martlets.
On 24 February the U-boats gained contact, but were unsuccessful in their attacks, while U-713 was sunk in a counter-attack by Keppel, assisted by a Swordfish
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
from Chaser.
On 25 February the U-boats again attacked, and on this day U-990 torpedoed the destroyer Mahratta
HMS Mahratta (G23)
HMS Mahratta was an M-class destroyer of the Royal Navy which served during World War II. Begun as Marksman, she was damaged while under construction, and dismantled to be rebuilt on a new slipway. She was launched as Mahratta in 1942, completed in 1943, and quickly pressed into service...
. She quickly sank, with the loss of most of her crew; there were 17 survivors. Also on 25 February a Catalina from Sullom Voe
Sullom Voe
Sullom Voe is an inlet between North Mainland and Northmavine on Shetland in Scotland. It is a location of the Sullom Voe oil terminal. The word Voe is from the Old Norse vagr and denotes a small bay or narrow creek...
attacked and destroyed U-601.
No further losses and JW 57 reached Kola safely on 28 February.